Ezekiel, 9

1. Then he shouted loudly for me to hear, 'The scourges of the city are approaching, each carrying his weapon of destruction!'

1. Then he cried in my ears with a loud voice, saying, "Draw near, you executioners of the city, each with his destroying weapon in his hand."

2. Immediately six men advanced from the upper north gate, each holding a deadly weapon. Among them was a man dressed in linen, with a scribe's ink-horn in his belt. They came in and halted in front of the bronze altar.

2. And lo, six men came from the direction of the upper gate, which faces north, every man with his weapon for slaughter in his hand, and with them was a man clothed in linen, with a writing case at his side. And they went in and stood beside the bronze altar.

3. The glory of the God of Israel rose from above the winged creature where it had been, towards the threshold of the Temple. He called to the man dressed in linen with a scribe's ink-horn in his belt

3. Now the glory of the God of Israel had gone up from the cherubim on which it rested to the threshold of the house; and he called to the man clothed in linen, who had the writing case at his side.

4. and Yahweh said to him, 'Go all through the city, all through Jerusalem, and mark a cross on the foreheads of all who grieve and lament over all the loathsome practices in it.'

4. And the LORD said to him, "Go through the city, through Jerusalem, and put a mark upon the foreheads of the men who sigh and groan over all the abominations that are committed in it."

5. I heard him say to the others, 'Follow him through the city and strike. Not one glance of pity; show no mercy;

5. And to the others he said in my hearing, "Pass through the city after him, and smite; your eye shall not spare, and you shall show no pity;

6. old men, young men, girls, children, women, kill and exterminate them all. But do not touch anyone with a cross on his forehead. Begin at my sanctuary.' So they began with the old men who were in the Temple.

6. slay old men outright, young men and maidens, little children and women, but touch no one upon whom is the mark. And begin at my sanctuary." So they began with the elders who were before the house.

7. He said to them, 'Defile the Temple; fill the courts with corpses; then go out!' They went out and hacked their way through the city.

7. Then he said to them, "Defile the house, and fill the courts with the slain. Go forth." So they went forth, and smote in the city.

8. While they were hacking them down, I was left alone; I fell on my face, crying out, 'Ah, Lord Yahweh, are you going to annihilate all that is left of Israel by venting your fury on Jerusalem?'

8. And while they were smiting, and I was left alone, I fell upon my face, and cried, "Ah Lord GOD! wilt thou destroy all that remains of Israel in the outpouring of thy wrath upon Jerusalem?"

9. He said, 'The guilt of the House of Israel and Judah is immense; the country is full of bloodshed, the city full of perversity, for they say, "Yahweh has abandoned the country, Yahweh cannot see."

9. Then he said to me, "The guilt of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great; the land is full of blood, and the city full of injustice; for they say, `The LORD has forsaken the land, and the LORD does not see.'

10. Then, I too shall neither give one glance of pity nor show any mercy. I shall repay them for what they have done.'

10. As for me, my eye will not spare, nor will I have pity, but I will requite their deeds upon their heads."

11. The man dressed in linen with the scribe's ink-horn in his belt then came back and made his report, 'I have carried out your orders.'

11. And lo, the man clothed in linen, with the writing case at his side, brought back word, saying, "I have done as thou didst command me."